Watch barbel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

S. T. J. BYAM.

WATCH BARREL.

N0. 340,936. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

N PETERS. FhnIe-Ulhug'aphcr. Wain-" m, acv

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. T. J. BYAM.

WATCH BARREL.

No; 340,936. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn,

SEWKALL '1. J. BYAM, OF NEV'HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGKOB TO THE XEW HAVEN VATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WATCH-BARREL.

SI ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,936, dated April 27, 1386, Application filed April 28. 1885- Serial No. 163,722. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEWALL T. J. BYAM, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVateh- Barrels,- aud I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the parts of my spring barrel separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same, except the cover, united for use. Fig. 3 is a plan view of said barrel, and shows the position of the safety-ring when engaged with the windingring. Fig. 4 is a like view of the same, and shows said safety-ring out of engagement with said Windingring; and Fig. 5 is a section upon line x x of Fig. 3.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in'each of the figures.

The design of my invention is to prevent the overwinding of the mainspring of a watch; and to this end said invention consists, principally, as a means for connecting a mainspring with a barrel, in a divided ring which is interposed bet-ween the outer coil of said spring and the interior of said barrel, is connected with said outer coil, and has at one end such peripheral engagement with said barrel as to cause it to be rotated thereby un til said spring is wound, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, in combining with a spring-barrel having a notched inner periphery a divided ring which is adapted to fit closely into said barrel and to have one of its ends engaged by the outer end of a mainspring, and is provided near said point of engagement with a peripheral lug that by the rotation of said ring within said barrel may be caused to engage with either of the notches within the interior of the latter, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

It consists, further, in the combination of a spring'barrel provided withinitsinteriorwith notches, a mainspring having its inner end attached to a journaled arbor, and a divided ring which has attached thereto the outer end of said spring, is interposed between the same and the interior of said barrel, and is combined with and rotated by the latter through the engagement of one of its ends therewith, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. 3

It consists, further, in the combination of the pillar-plate or housing, the spring-arbor, the toothed ring or barrel provided with interior notches, the divided ring having an engaging lug, the mainspring, and the stem-arbor pinion, substantially as and for the purpose here inafter shown and described.

It consists, further, in the combination ofthe recessed pillar-plate provided with a cover, the springbarrel having a notched interior, the divided ring adapted to engage frictionally with said barrel, the mainspring, the spring-arbor, and the stem-arbor pinion, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. 70

It consists, further, in a watch movement in which the mainspring-barrel is contained within a recess that is formed in the pillarplate, and is inclosed by the superimposed dial, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

It consists, finally, in a niainspring-barrel which is composed of a toothed ring that incloses the spring peripherally, the pillar-plate which incloses the lower side of said ring, and the dial that incloses the upper or outer side of the same, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the pillar-plate of a watch, which has about twice the usual thickness, and within its outer face is provided with a recess, a, that corresponds to the general size and shape of said plate, leaving at the bottom and periphery of the latter suflioient thickness of metal to give the required strength.

Fitted loosely into the recess a is a metal ring, 13, which in cross-section has an L shape, with its interior cylindrical and its radiallyprojecting flange cut to form gear-teeth b, which teeth are engaged by a pinion, c, that is secured upon and rotatable by means of a stem-arbor, C, the arrangement enabling said ring to be rotated within its recess by the revolution of said arbor. \Vithin the interior of said ring, at equidistant points circumferentially, are provided notches b, which extend from side to side, as shown, and are preferably half-round in end view.

IOO

Within the toothed ring B is placed a second ring, D,,whioh in line with the axes of said parts has the same dimensions as the former, and at one point of its periphery is divided, so as to leave the adjacent ends free to move upon radial lines. Said ring D has a considerable outward spring, so that by friction alone it would engage with and be revolved by said toothed ring; but in order that such engagement may be rendered more certain a lug, d, corresponding to the size and shape of the notches b is formed upon the periphery nearone of the ends of said divided ring, which lug is adapted to engage with either of said notches, and is held in such engagement with a yielding pressure that may be overcome by a sutlicieut amount of resistance to the rotation of said ring.

Into the space within the divided ring D is inserted a mainspring, E, of usual form, the outer end of which forms a hook, e, that engages with one of the ends of said ring, while at its inner end said spring engages in the usual manner with a collar, f, upon a main arbor, F. As thus combined, the rotation of the toothed ring or spring-barrel B in a forward direction will cause said mainspring to be wound from its outer end, while the power of the latter will be communicated through its inner end to the arbor F, and through the same to the time-train. When the spring E has been wound, its engagement with the divided ring 1) prevents the further rotation of the latter, and by the inward and rearward draft of said spring upon the engaging end of said ring, combined with the action of the curved notch 12 upon the curved lug d, said end is sprung inward sufficiently to release said lug from such engagement andpermit the toothed ring or barrel B to revolve harmlessly without increasing the strain upon said spring, said lug being successively engaged by and released from the remaining notches as said barrel is revolved.

The construction shown renders impossible the overwinding of the mainspring, and enables all of the usual stop mechanism to be dispensed with. Said spring cannot be subjected to a harmful strain, and when wound its power is always the same, by which means its influence upon the time-train is rendered uniform and the time-keeping qualities of the time-piece improved.

The winding mechanism is provided with a lockingpawl, G, preferably arranged to engage with the st'eni-arbor pinion c, and the outer side of the recess a is inclosed by means of a dial, H, which may be arranged to extend over and embrace the periphery of the plate A, if desired. The'pillar-plate and dial thus combined furnish a suitable space for the reception of a mainspring and permit of the use of a spring which has several times the usual length, without encroaching upon the space required for the time-train, and, in combination with the toothed ring, constitute a barrel that but slightly increases the thickness Having thus fully set forth. the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim is 1. As a means for connecting a mainspring with a barrel, a divided ring which is interposed between the outer coil of said spring and the interior of said barrel, is connected with said outer coil, and has at one end such peripheral engagement with said barrel as to cause it to be rotated thereby until said spring is wound, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with aspring-barrel having a notched inner periphery, a divided ring which is adapted to fit closely into said barrel and to have one of its ends engaged vby the outer end of a mainspring, and is provided near said point of engagement with a peripheral lug that by therotation of said ring within said barrel may be caused to engage with either of the notches within the interior of the latter, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The combination of a springbarrel provided within its interior with notches, a main spring having its inner end attached to a journal-arbor, anda divided ring which has attached thereto the outer end of said spring, is interposed between the same and the interior of said barrel, and is combined with and rotated by the latter through the engagement of one of its ends therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the pillar-plate or housing, the spring arbor, the toothed ring or barrel provided with interior notches, the di vided ring having an engaging lug, the mainspring, and the stem-arbor pinion, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The combination of the recessed pillarplate provided with a cover, the spring-barrel having a notched interior, the divided ring adapted to engage frictionally with said barrel, the mainspring, the spring-arbor, and the stem-arbor pinion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' 6. A watch-movement in which the mainspring-barrcl is contained within a recess that is formed in the pillar-plate and is inclosed by the superimposed dial, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

7. A mainspring-barrel which is composed of a toothed ring that incloses the spring peripherally, the pillar-plate which incloses the lower side of said ring, and the dial that incloses the upper or outer side of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of March, 1885.

SEVALL T. J. BYAM.

Witnesses:

T. G. SLOAN, L. J. MULFORD. 

